Wire feeding device



Jan. 1, 1957 J. l. CARLSON 2,776,004

WIRE FEEDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 30, 1950 3 Sheeis-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

J5 hm [Carlaqm Jan. 1, 1957 J. l. CARLSON- WIRE FEEDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 30, 1950 INVENTOR. 707/1 Ca/rlsqm Jan. 1, 1957 J. 1. CARLSON 2,775,004

WIRE FEEDING DEVICE Filed NOV. 30, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 my a INVENTOR.

(JbhUIQTZQOM United States Patent WIRE FEEDING DEVICE John I. Carlson, Aurora, 11]., assignor to Carlson Tool & Machine Company, a corporation of Illinois Application November 30, 1950, Serial No. 198,299

11 Claims. (Cl. 164-49) This invention relates to a feeding device and more particularly to a device for feeding predetermined lengths of wire from a continuous source.

It is the general object of this invention to produce a new and improved wire feeding device.

It is a more specific object of this invention to produce a wire feeding device including a gripping means mounted for reciprocal movement wherein means are provided for feeding lengths of wire to the gripping means at one point in its reciprocatory cycle and for cut-ting the wire so fed to the gripping means to a predetermined length and wherein the gripping means delivers the cut length of wire to a delivery station at another point in its reciprocatory cycle.

Another object of the invention is to produce a wire feeding device of the character described in the preceding paragraphs in which the gripping means include a pair of cooperating members forming jaws for gripping lengths of wire and in which the jaws are pivotally mounted and connected together in a manner permitting release of a length of wire held by the jaws upon pivotal movement thereof at the delivery station.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wire feeding device which includes a pair of driven rolls having contacting surfaces adapted frictionally to engage a wire therebetween together with means for intermittently driving the rolls to advance lengths of wire from a substantially constant source to a wire gripping means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire feeding device in which wire from a constant source is intermittently advanced toward a gripping means and including means for cutting the wire fed to the gripping means into predetermined lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire feeding device of the type described in the preceding paragraphs with drive means so synchronized as to effect, in sequence, feed of the wire to the gripping means, the cutting of the wire so fed into desired lengths, and the movement of the gripping means from the point at which the wire is fed thereto to a delivery station, and in which the synchronization may take place by providing a cam on a single drive shaft for moving the gripping means together with an eccentric on the shaft for operating the feed means and the cutting means with the sequential operations of the feed and cutting means being accomplished by connection to the eccentric at points angularly displaced from each other.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a portion of a brush making machine incorporating the wire feeding de-' vice of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the lower righthand portion of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2;

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Fig. 4 is a sectional view, partially broken away for clarity of illustration, taken substantially along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view, partially broken away, showing the mechanism for advancing lengths of wire toward the gripping means of this invention.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of simplifying the disclosure, the wire feeding device of this invention is shown as incorporated in a brush making machine similar to that described in U. S. Patent No. 2,415,083 or in my application Ser. No. 195,044 filed November 10, 1950, now Patent No. 2,689,152, although it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains that the invention is adaptable for use on other types of machines.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a frame 10 of a brush making machine provided with means generally indicated at 11 for driving a rotatably mounted drive shaft 12. Pivotally mounted adjacent the top of the frame 10 is a pair of arms 13 and 14 which are pivotally connected at their lower ends to a carrier 16. The points of pivotal connection of the lower end of the arms 13 and 14 to the carrier 16 are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the upper pivotal points thereof so that the arms and the carrier form a parallelogram.

Means are provided for swinging the arms to cause the carrier to reciprocate back and forth across the machine, the means including a cam 17 fixed to the shaft 12 and engaged by a cam follower 18 which is secured by means of a shaft 19 to the arm 14. A spring 20 has one end secured at 21 to the frame 10 and the other end is secured at 22 to the arm 14, constantly to urge the parallelogram to the left as shown in Fig. l, and the reciprocation of the carrier is, of course, accomplished by driving the shaft 12 which, through the medium of the cam and cam follower described, serves to reciprocate the carrier against the tension of the spring. As best shown in Fig. 3 the lower edge of the carrier 16 is guidingly received in a channel 23 formed between a pair of angle irons 24 and 25 secured to the base 26 of the frame.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that rotation of the drive shaft serves to reciprocate the carrier 16 to the left and right (as shown in Fig. 1). While the actual path of movement of any point on the carrier is in an arc, the carrier itself, forming the base of the parallelogram described, travels in a substantially horizontal path, that is the angle formed by a line between any two points on the carrier and the horizontal does not vary with reciprocation of the carrier. Thus the gripping means which are carried by the carrier, and which will be later described herein, maintain a substantially constant position with respect to the horizontal during operation of the device.

A stop screw 27 is threadably secured in the frame and may be rotated therein to determine the leftward movement of the carrier as the needs of the operation may require.

Pivotally mounted to the carrier at 30 is a member 31 which carries a gripping means generally designated 32 thereon. The left-hand end (as seen in Fig. 2) of the member is formed into a finger portion 33 which is received between but slightly spaced from a pair of blocks 34 and 35 secured to the carrier 16. The blocks are spaced from the finger portion 33 in order to limit and simultaneously to determine the extent of pivotal move ment permitted the member 31 with operation of the device. Mounted at the right-hand end of the member 3!; is a first elongated element 49 of the gripping means 32, the right-hand end of which terminates in a jaw portion 41 and the left-hand end of which is pivotally mounted at 42 to the member 31. Extending beneath and substantially coextensive with the upper element to is a lower element 43 whose right-hand end terminates in an anvil-shaped jaw portion 44. The upper jaw member is provided with a small notch 45 in which a wire 46 seats as the jaws 41 and 44 are brought together. The element 43 is pivotally connected at 47 to the member 31, the point 47 being located closely adjacent the jaw portion 44. The left-hand ends of the elements 4 and 43 are slightly spaced apart as indicated at 48 for reasons which hereinafter will become apparent.

A link 50 is provided to connect the two elements together and for that purpose is pivotally connected at 51 to the upper element and at 52 to the lower element. A spring 54 has its upper end secured to the element 40 substantially at the pivot point 51 and its lower end secured to the member 31 to urge the jaw portions 41 and 44 together under gripping pressure.

In the brush making machine which has been chosen as the exemplary environment of the wire feeding device of the invention, there is provided a wire slug driving mechanism which is mounted for vertical reciprocation along a path generally indicated at adjacent a frame member 61, and as the carrier 16 is reciprocated toward the right from the position shown in Fig. 2, the jaw portions 41 and 44 are swung into the path of reciprocation 60 of the wire slug driving mechanism so that the driving head of the wire slug driving mechanism is brought vertically downwardly over and encompass ing the jaw portions and the wire held therein. As the driving head of the slug driving mechanism continues its vertical downwardly movement, it exerts a downward force on the jaw 44 which serves to rock the lower element 43 about the pivot 47 which raises the link 5% to cause the upper element to pivot about the pivot point 42. As the pivotal movement of the lower element is clockwise and that of the upper element is counterclockwise, the jaws themselves are separated to release the wire 46 to the driving head of the wire slug driving mechanism. The carrier is then reciprocated to the left to withdraw the gripping means and more particularly the jaw portions thereof from the path of the driving mechanism.

The ultimate shape of the wire after it has been removed from the jaws by the driving mechanism is determined somewhat on the particular construction of the driving head and also by the shape chosen for the anvil portion of the lower jaw 44. Clearly, the construction of the driving head and the particular configuration of the anvil portion of the jaw may be varied in order to suit the requirements of various installations. The particular shape of the wire anchoring means to be driven by the driving mechanism is dependent for the most part upon the type of operation desired. When tufting brushbacks for large brushes, it is preferred that the wire be bent into the shape of a staple, that is in a loop or U-shape, and to this end the shape of the anvil portion of the lower portion may be altered to meet the requirements as well as the construction of the driving head which performs a part of the forming operation. When used in tufting tooth brushes or other thin-backed brushes, the Wire is substantially straight as it is driven into the brushback and thus is not bent by the anvil portion or the driving head. The wire feeding means of this invention is particularly adapted for use in tufting thinbacked brushes and is so constructed as to be capable of handling extremely short lengths of wire. When operating withextremely. short lengths of wire, the wire must be held perfectly in the center of its length in the gripping means and not to one side or the other side of its center.

In the wire feeding device of this invention, means are provided for effecting a positive feed of wire from a continuous source to the gripping means each time the carrier is reciprocated. The source of wire may be a large reel of wire of the thickness and quality desired for the stapling operation, and while, of course, a reel of wire is not endless, the lengths of wire delivered by the gripping means to the driving mechanism are each but a tiny fraction of the total length of the wire on the reel and for such purpose the reel may be considered as endless.

As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, wire 7% is fed from a source (not shown) to the nip between two feed rolls 71 and 72. The upper roll 71 is provided with a circumferential groove 73 adapted to receive the Wire and to orient it into a straight delivery movement toward the gripping means. The upper roll 71 is provided with a gear 74 secured thereto which meshes with a gear 75 secured to the lower roll 72 so that both rolls may be positively driven in order to insure a positive feed of the wire each time the rolls are rotated. Wire emerging from the nip between the rolls is fed into a passage 76 extending longitudinally through a guide block 77, emerging therefrom immediately adjacent the gripping means. The upper roll 71 is resiliently urged against the bottom roll 72 and for this purpose is mounted on the end of one arm of a right angle crank 78, the other arm of the crank being secured to a spring 79 which in turn is secured to the frame. The crank 78 is pivoted to the frame at the juncture of the two arms as shown.

Means are provided for intermittently driving the rolls 71 and 72 to feed predetermined lengths of wire to the gripping means each time the carrier is reciprocated. As best seen in Fig. 4, an eccentric 84 is mounted on the drive shaft 12 and rotatably carries a bearing member 81 provided with two arms 82 and 33 extending therefrom substantially at right angles to each other. To the lowermost of the arms, namely the arm 32, there is secured a collar 84 which is secured to a rod 85 secured to a sleeve member 86 rotatably mounted on a shaft 87 which carries the lower roll 72. Secured to the sleeve 86 is an upstanding arm 88 which pivotally carries at its upper end a pawl member 89 adapted to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel 90. The ratchet 90 is integral with a spacing member 91 which, in turn, is integral with the gear 75. As shown, the ratchet 9i), spacing member 91 and gear 75 are turned from a single block of steel and the unit is mounted for rotation on shaft 87.

As the shaft 12 is rotated it will be clear that the movement of the lower arm 82 causes the arm 85 to pivot upwardly and downwardly once each time the shaft 12 is rotated through a complete revolution. As the arm 85 is pivoted upwardly it rotates the arm 88 in a clockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 4) whereupon the pawl 89 engages the ratchet 90 to rotate both of the rolls 72 and 73. .As the arm 85 moves downwardly the pawl member merely rides over the teeth of the ratchet imparting no rotation to the rolls being maintained in engagement therewith by the spring 92, and hence no feed of the wire occurs.

Inasmuch as the wire 70, which is intermittently advanced by the rotation of the rolls 72 and 73, is continuous in length whereas the wire to be delivered to the slug driving mechanism by the gripping means is to be in comparatively short lengths, means are provided for cutting the wire into the desired lengths for delivery to the slug driving mechanism after it has been fed to the gripping means.

To this end, a crank is pivotally mounted at 101 to the frame. The crank is provided with a lower arm 102 pivotally connected to the outer end of the arm 83 and an upper arm 103 secured to a cutter driving mechanism'104. Secured in a notch portion 105 (Fig. 2) of the frame member 61 is a block 106 provided with an opening extending vertically therethrough to receive a drive rod 107. The rod 107 is pivotally connected at its upper end to a bolt 108 to which is secured a sleeve 109 pivotally secured to the arm 103. As best seen in Fig. 5, the right-hand end or exit end of the block 77 terminates in a guide portion 110. The lower end of the rod 107 is cut away to clear the wire gripping means and is so shaped, as indicated at 111, as to dovetail into or onto the guide portion 110 and carries at its lower extremity an inclined cutting blade 112 which because of the particular construction just described, is held closely adjacent the exit end 113 of the passage 76. Because of the manner in which the cutting blade is mounted, it is possible for the device of this invention to cut extremely short lengths of wire inasmuch as the wire is securely held in the passage 76 and the cutting blade 112 is securely held adjacent the exit end of the passage by the dovetailed construction shown.

The purpose for mounting the member 31 so as to provide a limited pivotal movement therefor is to assure that the wire remains properly oriented in the jaws during the cutting operation. Inasmuch as the cutter blade may exert a slight downward force on the wire such force would, in the absence of the permissive pivotal movement of the member 31, tend to open the jaws by the pressure exerted against the lower jaw member. The movement permitted to the member 31, however, allows the entire unit consisting of that member and the two jaws to pivot downwardly in response to the cutting force exerted on the wire without twisting the wire from its centered position in the jaws. Thus the wire remains properly positioned and is not moved oficenter laterally with regard to the jaws or twisted to a position other than one lying 9 to the direction of reciprocation of the carrier.

The particular length of wire fed to the gripping means each time the rolls 72 and 73 are rotated may be varied by changing the ratchet and pawl device to provide more or less rotation and thus to alter the effective lengths of the arms 82 and 85. The number of teeth in the ratchet, of course, governs the length of wire fed each time the feed ing rolls 71 and 72 are rotated. To provide a wire slug .125 inch long 25 teeth may be used, 28 teeth for a slug .110 inch and 33 teeth for a slug .095 inch. To provide for different lengths of wire, the unit comprising the ratchet 90, spacing member 91 and gear 75 is replaced by a different unit carrying a ratchet having the desired number of teeth. No matter what the length of wire desired the rest of the lower roller unit need not be varied. The upper roller 71 should be replaced when using wires of different diameters. The groove cut in the upper roller is provided with a certain depth so that the point of contact between the wire and the groove is on a pitch circle of 1". Thus as the diameter of the wire changes the depth of the groove must be changed similarly.

To prevent lateral movement of the wire in the jaws during the cutting operation, a fitting 114 is mounted on the frame of the machine which carries a threaded rod 115 which is located in the path of movement of the wire but on the opposite side of the gripping means. The rod 115 acts as a stop and therefore is adjustably mounted so as to vary the distance between it and the cutting blade 112 so as to accommodate various lengths of wire advanced by the rolls 72 and 73.

It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 that the upper and lower elements 40 and 43 of the gripping means are spaced apart intermediate the link 50 and the jaw portions 41 and 44 and it is through this space that wire is fed from the feed rolls 71 and 72.

It is preferred to so synchronize the movement of the various parts just described so that as the carrier 16 is reciprocated to the left, after delivering a length of wire to the driving mechanism, the rolls 72 and 73 are rotated to advance a length of wire through the space between the upper and lower elements just mentioned so that as the jaw portions are moved leftw'ardly they are forced apart against the tension of the spring 54 to receive the wire therebetween. In the event the member 31 has been tilted downwardly (clockwise as seen in Fig. 2) by the operation of the cutter as previously described, contact of the upper member 40 with a wire fed between the elements 40 and 43 returns the member to normal position, such contact being along a slanted or cam portion of the element 40 immediately to the left of the jaw portion 41. Inasmuch as the arm 82 which drives the wire feeding rolls is positioned approximately from the arm 83 which drives the cutting mechanism the latter mechanism is operated only after the feeding rolls have completed the advancement of the wire to the jaws and against the stop 115. When this has been accomplished and when the carrier is in its extreme leftward position and bearing against the stop 27 the rod 107 is reciprocated to effect the cutting operation.

I claim:

1. A wire feeding device for a wire driving mechanism comprising a carrier, means for reciprocating the carrier in a substantially linear path, a jaw supporting member pivotally mounted on the carrier, a pair of coacting jaws. pivotally supported on the jaw supporting member, means. for urging the jaws together to cause the ends thereof to grip a wire fed thereto, said jaws having a spaced apart" portion rearwardly of the ends of the jaws in the line of' carrier movement, a pair of rolls positioned on one side of the path of movement of the carrier, with the nip of the rolls being opposite said spaced apart portion, said rolls being provided with contacting faces adapted fric-- tionally to grip a wire therebetween, means for rotatingthe rolls intermittently to feed wire into said spaced apart portion to be gripped by the ends of the jaws with rear-- ward movement of the carrier, a cutting blade positioned. intermediate the rolls and the jaws and mounted forreciprocal movement into the path of feed movement of the wire, and means for reciprocating the blade in a plane: normal to the pivotal axis of the jaw supporting member: to cut a length of wire gripped in the ends of said jaws.

2. In a machine having a frame, means for delivering; a wire, comprising: a pair of arms each having an end. mounted on the frame to swing in a plane extending: transversely of a wire to be delivered; a carrier pivotally mounted on the other end of the arms to form therewith, a parallelogram; a jaw supporting member mounted on. th'e'carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane;: wire gripping means including a pair of relatively movable: jaws mounted on the member to pivot about an axis par-- allel to said first-named axis; means for applying a force to a wire held in the jaws, said force tending to open the jaws and having at least a component in a direction to pivot the jaw supporting member about its axis; andi means for swinging said arms to reciprocate the carrier..

3. In a machine having a frame, means for deliver-ing; a wire, comprising: a pair of arms each having one end mounted on the frame to swing in a plane extendingtransversely of a wire to be delivered; a carrier pivoted. on the other end of the arms to form a parallelogram; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot: about an axis normal to said plane; wire gripping means: including a pair of relatively movable jaws mounted on the member to pivot about an axis parallel to said firstnamed axis; a drive shaft; a cam carried by the drive shaft; means for applying a force to a Wire held in the jaws, said force tending to open the jaws and having at least a component in a direction to pivot the jaw support ing member about its axis; and a cam follower carried by the parallelogram and riding on the cam to reciprocate the carrier.

4. Means for delivering a wire, comprising: a carrier mounted for substantially reciprocal movement in a plane extending transversely of a wire to be delivered; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the member; wire gripping means including a pair of relatively movable jaws mounted on the member to pivot about an axis parallel to said firstnamed axis; means for applying a force to a wire held in the jaws, said force tending to open the jaws and being in a direction to pivot the jaw supporting member about its axis toward said stop means; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke.

5. Means for delivering a wire, comprising: a carrier mounted for substantially reciprocal movement in a plane extending transversely of a wire to be delivered; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; wire gripping means including a pair of relatively movable jaws mounted on the member to pivot about an axis parallel to said first-named axis; means for applying a force to a wire held in the jaws, said force tending to open the jaws and being in a direction to pivot the jaw supporting member about its axis; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke and a return stroke.

6. Means for delivering a wire, comprising: a carrier mounted for substantially reciprocal movement in a plane extending transversely of a wire to be delivered; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the member; gripping means mounted on the member, said gripping means including an upper element having a jaw at one end and pivoted to the member at the other end about an axis parallel to said first-named axis, and a lower element substantially coextensive with the upper element and having a jaw at one end and cooperable with the first jaw and having its other end adjacent but spaced from said other end of the upper element, with said lower element being pivoted to the member intermediate its ends about an axis parallel to said first-named axis; means connecting said elements together with said connecting means being pivotally secured to the upper element intermediate its ends and to the lower element between its pivot and said other end thereof; means for applying a force to a wire held in the jaws, said force tending to open the jaws and being in a direction to pivot the jaw supporting memher about its axis toward said stop means; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke and a return stroke.

7. Means for delivering a wire, comprising: a carrier mounted for substantially reciprocal movement in a plane extending transversely of a wire to be delivered; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; a pair of spaced blocks adjacent one end of the carrier; a finger portion on the member fitting loosely between said blocks to limit the pivotal movement of the member; gripping means mounted on the member, said gripping means including an upper element having a jaw at one end and pivoted to the member at the other end about an axis parallel to said first-named axis, and a lower element substantially coextensive with the upper element and having a jaw at one end cooperable with the first jaw and having its other end adjacent but spaced from said other end of the upper element with said lower element being pivoted to the member intermediate its ends about an axis parallel to said first-named axis; means connecting said elements together, with said connecting means being pivotally secured to the upper element intermediate its ends and to the lower element between its pivot and said other end thereof; means for applying a force to a wire held in said jaws, said force tending to open the jaws and being in a direction to pivot the jaw supporting member to move said finger against one of said blocks; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke and a return stroke.

8. Means for delivering a wire, comprising: a carrier mounted for substantially reciprocal movement in a plane extending transversely of a wire to be delivered; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the member; gripping means mounted on the member, said gripping means including an upper element having a jaw at one end and pivoted to the member at the other end about an axis parallel to said first-named axis, and a lower element substantially coextensive with the upper element and having an anvilshaped jaw at one end cooperable with the first jaw and having its other end adjacent but spaced from said upper end of the upper element with said lower element being pivoted to the member intermediate its ends about an axis parallel to said first-named axis; a link connected to the upper element intermediate its ends and to the lower element at a point between its pivot and said other end thereof; spring means urging the jaws together; means for applying a force to a Wire held in said jaws, said force being in a direction urging one jaw away from the other jaw in opposition to said spring means; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke and a return stroke.

9. Means for delivering a transversely translatable wire, comprising: a carrier mounted for substantially reciprocal movement in a plane extending transversely of a wire to be delivered; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; stop means for limiting pivotal movement of the member; gripping means mounted on the member, said gripping means including an upper element having a jaw at one end and pivoted to the member at the other end about an axis parallel to said first-named axis, and a lower element substantially coextensive with the upper element and having an anvil-shaped jaw at one end cooperable with the first jaw and having its other end adjacent but spaced from said other end of the upper element with said lower element being pivoted to the member intermediate its ends about an axis parallel to said first-named axis; a link connected to the upper element intermediate its ends and to the lower element at a point between its pivot and said other end thereof; means urging the jaws together; means for applying a force to a wire held in said jaws, said force being in a direction urging one jaw away from the other jaw in opposition to said closing means; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke and a return stroke.

10. In a machine having a frame, means for delivering a transversely translatable wire, comprising: a pair of arms each having one end mounted on the frame to swing in a plane transversely of a wire to be delivered; a carrier pivotally mounted on the other end of the arms to form therewith a parallelogram; a jaw supporting member mounted on the carrier to pivot about an axis normal to said plane; stop means for limiting pivot movement of the member; gripping means mounted on the member, said gripping means including an upper element having a jaw at one end and pivoted to the member at the other end about an axis parallel to said firstnamed axis, and a lower element substantially coextensive withthe upper element and having an anvil-shaped jaw at one end cooperable with the first jaw and having its other end adjacent but spaced from said other end of the upper element with said lower element being pivoted to the member intermediate its ends about an axis parallel to said first-named axis; a link connected to the upper element intermediate its ends and to the lower element at a point between its pivot and said other end thereof; spring means urging the jaws together; means for applying a force to a wire held in said jaws, said force being in a direction urging one jaw away from the other jaw in opposition to said closing means; and means for reciprocating the carrier on a forward stroke and a return stroke.

11. A wire delivery device comprising: a pair of wire gripping jaws; means for yieldingly closing said jaws to hold a wire therebetween; means for applying a force to a wire held in said jaws, said force being in a direction urging one jaw away from the other jaw in opposition to said closing means; means for carrying said jaws permitting the concurrent positioning of each of said jaws to accommodate limited transverse translation of the wire in response to the application of said force, thereby preventing opening of said jaws by the overcoming of said closing means; means for moving said jaws while closed to move the wire held therebetween; and means arranged to limit when desired the action of said carrying means and allow opening of said jaws to release the wire from therebetween.

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